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Yu promises there won't be any more major reshuffles

In short * Just days after he flatly dismissed media reports about a possible reshuffle after the Lunar New Year and Cabinet infighting, the premier approved the resignation Tuesday of the head of the Veterans Affairs Commission, Yang Teh-chih. * Yu also confirmed that Ministry of National Defense Tang Yau-ming had tendered his resignation twice in the past five months but eventually decided to stay on until February next year when Yu's term comes to an end.

Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday said the overriding need for stability means there won't be anymore Cabinet reshuffles, except for some deputy's positions that need to be filled.

"The idea of maintaining stability in the government is something that the president and I see eye-to-eye on and the president fully supports," Yu said.

Yu has been harshly criticized in the media for concealing a recent personnel change in his Cabinet.

Just days after he flatly dismissed media reports about a possible reshuffle after the Lunar New Year and Cabinet infighting, the premier approved the resignation Tuesday of the head of the Veterans Affairs Commission, Yang Teh-chih (楊德智).

Yang said he resigned for health reasons.

Yu also confirmed that Ministry of National Defense Tang Yau-ming (湯曜明) had tendered his resignation twice in the past five months but eventually decided to stay on until February next year when Yu's term comes to an end.

Speculation is rife, however, that more Cabinet officials have tendered their resignations, including Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i (林信義) and Government Information Office Director-General Arthur Iap (葉國興).

Cabinet Secretary-General Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) has also reportedly wanted to leave.

Dismissing media speculation, Yu yesterday reiterated that Lin, Iap and Liu have never threatened to quit.

"Please don't have any doubts about my words and instead believe in groundless rumors," Yu said. "It's the consensus of the Cabinet and Presidential Office that the government should maintain stability."

Yu did, however, say that several deputy positions need to be filled in the near future.

These positions include the vice director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission and one of the three vice chairman slots for the Mainland Affairs Council, which has been vacant since last February, when Lin Chong-Pin (林中斌) was appointed senior adviser to the National Security Council.

On Tuesday, Lin Chong-Pin was appointed vice minister of national defense, replacing Kang Ning-hsiang (康寧祥), who will succeed National Security Council Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁).

It is widely believed that Cabinet Deputy Secretary-General Liu Yu-shan (劉玉山) will replace Lin.

The position at the Overseas Chinese Commission has been empty since last September, when Chen Rong-jye (陳榮傑) was appointed as a representative to Russia.

Cabinet spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (莊碩漢) and Straits Exchange Foundation Deputy Secretary-General Yin Wan-ching (顏萬進) are among the leading candidates for the commission job.

Yu said the public should look at the lower-level job appointments from a positive angle.

"From the government's viewpoint, any reorganization of the government lineup is made for the best interest of the nation and the people," he said.
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